Fluid actuated door operating mechanism



Oct 1967 R. H ARMSTRONG v FLUID ACTUATED DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 28, 1965 a e "a fi m M w fie: u m M m s n m E M W H A f N M .ww r mu I mm @m s iwm fim "a 5 5 \m 9 k Q v Q NE MN Q\. v 1 QM \i ax .uw

Oct. 31; 1967 R. H. ARMSTRONG FLUID ACTUATED DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed July 28, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent ()fiiice 3,349,516 FLUID ACTUATED DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Robert H. Armstrong, 234 S. Marywood Ave., Claremont, Calif. 91711 Filed July 28, 1965, Ser. No. 475,530 Claims. (CI. 49-25) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A garage door operator having a hydraulic door operating ram containing a plunger connected to. the door by a cable, and solenoid operated valving for selectively pressurizing, hydraulically locking, and venting the ram to permit selective opening and closing of the door and positive retention of the door in any intermediate position.

Summary of the invention The invention provides an operator for a vertically swinging-garage door, wherein the door is driven between closed and open positions by a hydraulic ram. The ram plunger is connected by a cable to the door so that the traction of the plunger into the ram cylinder swings the door to open position. Flow of hydraulic working fluid to and from the cylinder is controlled by a pair of solenoid valves which may be selectively opened and closed in such a way as to permit selective opening and closing of the door and positive retention of the door in any intermediate position.

The present invention relates generally to automatic door opening and closing mechanisms; more particularly, the invention relates to such door operating mechanisms operated by a fluid actuating cylinder controlled by electric solenoid valves and operable from conventional tap-water supplies and training into the conventional sewage system.

Door opening and closing systems, particularly those described as automatic garage-door openers have been operated in the past by electric motors appropriately coupled to a garage door to lift and lower it in response to push-button actuated or similar switches remotely-com trolled by radio signals.

In other known door-actuating mechanisms hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders have been used, but for these, compressed air, or hydraulic fluid reservoirs have been required, from which the actuating gas or fluid was pumped up into the cylinder and released back into the supply in the open and release modes of their operation.

In the present invention a novel and relatively simple garage-door-actuating mechanism is conceived wherein the door is lifted and closed by the operation of a singleacting fluid cylinder which may be connected to the conventional household tap-water supply for lifting power source and drained into the conventional sewage system for let-down operation. The inlet of water and its outflow are under the control of electric solenoid valves actuated in the appropriate sequence by the successive use of a push-button or radio-actuated switch.

A particular feature of the invention is the fact that the door is readily stopped in any position during the opening or closing thereof.

The use of the tap-water supply to fill the actuating cylinder is far less costly that the power cost of operating a substantial electric motor such as ordinarily employed in the electric door actuators. It is also far less costly than the tank and pumping machinery required 3,349,516 Patented Oct. 31, 1967 for the other prior art hydraulic or pneumatic door actuators.

In operation the door opener of this invention provides a reasonable rise and fall rate for the door. Neither does the door fly open as in the prior art hydraulic or pneumatic systems, nor does it crawl up and down as in some of the prior art electric openers.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an automatic garage-door opener wherein the actuating means is a single-acting fluid cylinder controlled by electric solenoid valves and powered from the tap Water supply.

It is another object of the invention to provide a door-opening mechanism operated from a single-acting fluid control cylinder charged from the ta water supply and discharged into the sewage system.

It is a further object of the invention to provide in combination an electric-switch-actuated garage-door control operating a single-acting fluid cylinder to raise and lower the door.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a garage-door opener operated more economically than prior-art garage-door openers.

It is even further an object of the invention to provide a tap-water-fluid-operated garage-door opener actuated by an electric push-button switch means.

And yet a further object of the invention is to provide a radio-controlled fluid-actuated garage-door opener.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those versed in the art from a consideration of the following description, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary generalized view of the installation of a garage door opener according to this invention showing the elements thereof in a garage and connected with a garage door thereof;

FIGURE 2 is a detail partially broken and partially cut away of a cylinder as used in the invention, showing in exploded form the connection thereof to other parts;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmented detail of' the installation of the cylinder of FIGURE 2 shown in cross-section through 33;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary detail of the installation of the fluid connection elements in a cylinder such as shown in FIGURE 3 shown in exploded form;

FIGURE 5 is a view of the enclosure for the fluid solenoid valves used in the invention shown with the top oil to reveal the arrangement of the components therein; and

FIGURE 6 is a schematic circuit detail of the electrical portion of the system of this invention as coupled with the fluid inlet and outlet components thereof and the solenoid valves with the means by which the valves are actuated and the solenoids switched.

Reference is made to all of the figures generally.

In FIGURE 1 there is shown a garage 10 in which the system of this invention is installed. A single-acting fluid cylinder 11 is mounted to a wall or frame section 12 of garage 10, being held in place by one or more U-shaped brackets 13. A drive post or rod 14 extends from cylinder 11 to which a draw cable 16 is attached by a clamp 15. The other end of cable 16 is attached by a cable attachment 17 to garage door 18. As may be seen in FIGURES 2 and 4 drive post or rod 14 has a cross bore 21 therethrough at the end 23 thereof through which the end 22 of cable 16 is passed through to form a loop and then wrapped around screw or bolt 25 and held in place by nut 26 threaded onto screw or bolt 25 after wire end 22 is wrapped therearound. This is better seen in the enlarged detail of FIGURE 4. Screw and nut 25-26 make up clamp 15. The other end 24 of cable 16 is similarly looped about an articulatable linkage 17 on a book 32 screwed to the top 31 of door 18 by a wood screw 30. As may be seen in FIGURE 1 door 18 is mountedv on a spring loaded hinge 35 of a conventional type which operates to draw the door up after the center of the loading of the spring has been passed and similarly on the downward pull operates to pull the door down. Such spring loaded hinges for garage doors are well known and widely used and need not be further detailed here. Suffice it to state that as door 18 moves up and down on hinge 35, being pulled up by the action of cylinder 11 it does so against the spring load of hinge 35 and the spring draws the door down as the cylinder is discharged. The actuation of the cylinder 11 in this manner is further detailed below.

As may be seen in the cutaway portion 97 of the wall 98 of cylinder 11 shown in FIGURE 2 within cylinder 11 there is a piston 94 and rod 14 (previously described) which form the integral moving element of cylinder 11. Piston 94 has an O-ring seal 96 therearound to seal it against water leakage. Rod 14 passes through aperture 27 in cylinder cap 37 at end 36 thereof. Water in and outflow to the interior 99 of cylinder 11 is through pipe fitting (nipple) 19 in orifice 28 of cap 37.

At the end 36 of cylinder 11 a cap 37 is provided. In the end of cap 37 is an orifice 27 through which rod 14 passes movably but sealed against outflow of fluid from cylinder 11. On the periphery of cap 37 is provided a threaded orifice 28 to receive a pipe nipple 19 on which is positioned a tubing 20. Nipple 19 receives tubing 20 sealably so that fluid flowing in and out of cylinder 11 will not leak.

Reference is now made to FIGURES and 6. In FIGURE 5 a detail is shown of the interior of a control box 5 shown in FIGURE 1 installed on the side of a cabinet 4 in garage 10. In FIGURE 6 a schematic diagram of the circuit in box 5 is shown. The location on cabinet 4 is only a suggested location as the unit may be placed wherever convenient and accessible in a garage. Within box 5 are included a pair of solenoid controlled valves 50-51 each coupled to its control solenoid 52-53 and each having an inlet 54-55 and an outlet 56-57. By an elbow coupling 58 the inlet 54 of valve 50 is coupled through a nipple fitting 59 to a water source through a tubing 60. Tubing 60 and nipple 59 are similar in all respects to nipple and tubing 19-20. The water source is the tap water such as may be found at a water heater such as 61 or any other convenient place in a household. A T junction is coupled between outlet 56 of valve 50, the inlet 55 of valve 51 and a nipple fitting 63 which receives the remaining end of tubing 20 which is connected to cylinder 11 by nipple 19 previously described. When valve 50 is open a flow path is provided from the water source connected to tubing 60 through inlet 54, outlet 56 and T junction 62 and nipple 63 and through tubing 20 to cylinder 11. Valve 51 is closed at this time. When valve 50 is closed and valve 51 is open, a flow path is provided through tubing 20 from cylinder 11 and through nipple 63, T junction 62, inlet 55 and outlet 57 to a drain pipe 64 coupled to outlet 57. Drain pipe 64 would be connected to any sewage or water drain in the garage area or elsewhere in the house where a convenient drain location is found.

Also within box 5 is a set of single pole double throw (spot) leaf contacts 74-75-76 which are coupled mechanically by a snap action spring-leaf arrangement 77- 78 similar to one manufactured by Guardian Electric Manufacturing Company of Chicago, Illinois, type CXA 2787 described in their catalogue page E-IO, copyright 1961. Switch 74-78 is mechanically coupled with a ratchet cam transfer element 80 indicated but not shown in detail which is coupled with and actuated by the armature 81 of a relay coil assembly 79 as indicated schematically in FIGURE 6. The action of SPDT switch contacts 74-78 is such that each pull of armature 81 under the urge of relay coil assembly 79 operates cam to place leaf contact 75 (the arm of the assembly 74-76) to either terminal 74 or 76 alternating back and forth each time relay coil 79 is actuated as further described below.

Solenoid 52 can be seen to hove leads 65-66 connected thereto one of which is connected to terminal 70 (common line) of a connection block 90 on box 5, the other to terminal 74 (upper element) of SPDT switch 74-76. Solenoid 53 has leads 67-68 similarly connected to common lead 70 and to lower leaf 76 of switch 74-76. The movable leaf 75 of switch 74-76 is connected to terminal 72 of connection block 90. The leads 82-83 of relay coil 79 are connected between terminals 70 and 72. A transformer 85 mounted to the same wall of cabinet 4 as box 5 has input leads 86-87 connected to a 110 v. A.C. source, and secondary output leads 88-89 connected to terminals 70-71 of terminal block 90 on box 5. The output leads 88-89 of transformer 85 may be 24 volts A.C. as a convenient value because readily available commercially, but not limited thereto. Between terminals 71 and 72. a push button may be connected or alternatively or in parallel therewith the closure contact terminals of a radio-operated remote control relay shown generally at 91 in FIGURE 1.

The operation of the garage door opener hereinabove described is as follows.

The quiescent situation of the system of this invention with the garage door 18 closed is found to consist of a push button 92 or a radio-controlled switch 91 operable but in a normally open condition so that the output leads 88-89 of transformer 85 do not complete any of the circuits to either relay coil 79 or solenoids 52 or 53.

Cam operated switch is in a contact condition where center leaf 75 is in contact with lower leaf 76 completing the circuit to solenoid 53. It will be recalled here that switch assembly 74-78 remains in whatever position it had been set to by the last operation of relay 79 so that the quiescent condition being described is that following a closure of door 18.

When either a radio signal is received by switch 91 to close it, or when one presses push-button 91 located at a convenient access place in the garage or house of which the garage 10 is a part the closure completes the circuit from the secondary leads 88-89 of transformer 85 first to relay coil 79 actuating relay armature plate 81 to operate cam 80 which switches leaf 75 to make contact with leaf 74 completing the circuit to solenoid 52 thereby. Solenoid 52 thereby opens valve 50 permitting water from the tap-water source to enter cylinder 11 through the now open inflow path from water inlet line 60, through elbow 58, inlet 54 of valve 50, through outlet 56 of valve 50, and T-section 62 into tubing 20, to cylinder 11 entering cylinder 11 through aperture 28 to fill the interior 99 of cylinder 11 with water. As water continues to flow into the interior 99 of cylinder 11, the pressure increases and forces piston 94 towards end 100 of the cylinder 11. The movement of piston 94 towards end 100 pulls rod 14 into cylinder 11 and cable 16 along with it which pull on the top 31 of door 18 to lift door 18 opening it. The filling of cylinder 11 continues as long as radio switch 91 or push button switch 92 are held closed. Thus, the act of removing the finger from the push-button 92 or the radio signal from unit 91 stops the action then in progress, in the instant description-raising the garage door, by removing power from solenoid 52 and closing valve.

This returns the system to the quiescent condition above described except for the fact that now switch cont-act 74- 75 are closed, and cylinder 11 is full holding piston 94 near end 100 of cylinder 11. The next pressure on pushbutton 92 or actuation of radio switch 91 again applies power to relay coil 79 to actuate relay armature plate 81 operating cam 80 to throw switch leaf 75 over to contact leaf 76 which completes the circuit to solenoid 53 thereby opening valve 51. Water in cylinder 11 now starts to flow out of cylinder .11, through orifice 28, into tubing 20, through inlet 55 to valve 51, and through outlet 57 of valve 51 and pipe 64 to the drain or sewage outlet of the house. As water leaves cylinder 11, piston 94 is no longer held up by the force of water, and the weight of door 18 pulling on cable 16 and rod 14 draws the piston back towards end 36 of cylinder 11. The rate of descent of door 18 being held in check by the rate of outflow of water from cylinder 11 creates a sufiicient back pressure against piston 94 to permit only a relatively gradual descent.

Again, on removal of power by release of switch '92 or 91, the door is stopped in its descent (or by now has reached the end of the descent and is closed), and the first described quiescent condition prevails until it is desired to open the garage door again.

Radio controlled switch devices for use as switch 91 are well known. They may be purchased for actuating a variety of electric devices. In general they consist of a transmitter device which, upon the closing of a switch thereon, transmits a radio broadcast signal to a remote tuning device such as 91 tuned to receive the transmitting frequency and usually equipped with circuits designed to respond to some predetermined combination of modulation signals transmitted by the above-mentioned transmitter. In response to the predetermined signals received by receiver 91, a relay therein is actuated to provide the normally open single pole switch closure required for operation of switch 91 as defined herein.

Those versed in the art will appreciate that the present invention achieves the objects and realizes the advantages hereinbefore mentioned.

Although a specific embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein, it will be understood that the same is merely exemplary of presently preferred embodiments capable of attaining the objects and advantages hereinbefore mentioned, and that the invention is not limited thereto; variations will be readily apparent to those versed in the art, and the invention is entitled to the broadest interpretation within the terms of the appended claims.

The inventor claims:

1. In combination with a garage door and coupled thereto by a cable, a single-acting fluid cylinder having a movable rod extending therefrom connected with the cable; a first valve operated by a solenoid and connected between said cylinder and a source of tap water; a second valve operated by a solenoid and connected between said cylinder and a drain outlet; and switching means for selectively energizing said valve solenoids in any position of said garage door and in such manner as to effect opening of either valve and closing of the other valve, and simultaneous closing of both valves; whereby said garage door is lifted when said first valve is opened to permit water from said source to enter said cylinder to draw said rod extending therefrom into said cylinder and pull upon said cable, and whereby said garage door is lowered when said second valve is opened to permit said water from said cylinder to drain into said drain outlet, extending said rod to release said cable, and whereby further said garage door may be arrested and positively retained in any position.

2. In a garage door opener: a fluid single acting cylinder having a piston therein movable from one end of said cylinder to the other thereof when said cylinder is filled with water, and a rod extending outwardly from said one end of said cylinder, said rod being integral with said piston and having a first coupling means on the end thereof outside said cylinder; a second coupling means on the garage door; a cable connected between said first and said second coupling means; a valve assembly including an inflow valve and an outflow valve each being operable by solenoids coupled thereto; a snap-action single-pole-double-throw switch having an electric relay operated mechanical means to set the contacts thereof successively in either of two positions, having a common lead and a first contact in said first position connected to said solenoid on said inflow valve and a second contact in a second position connected to said solenoid on said outflow valve; a normally open contact switch; a source of electric power coupled with said snap-action switch said electric relay and with said solenoids through said normally open contact switch; a source of tap water connected to said inflow valve; a drain connected to said outflow valve; and a T-coupling connection between said inflow valve, said cylinder and said outflow valve, whereby when said normally open contact switch is closed on a rst actuation thereof said snap-action switch is set by said relay into said first position thereof to apply power to said inflow solenoid valve to open said valve to permit water from said tap-water supply through said inflow valve to enter said cylinder forcing said piston to said other end of said cylinder and thereby drawing said rod into said cylinder and pulling on said cable to lift said garage door, and whereby on a succeeding actuation of said normally open contact switch said snap action switch is set by said relay into said second position thereof to apply power to said outfiow solenoid valve to permit outflow of water from said cylinder through said outflow valve and said T-coupling into said drain thereby permitting said piston to return to said one end of said cylinder extending said rod from said cylinder out of said one end permitting said garage door thereby to lower and return to the closed position thereof, the termination of the closing of said normally open contact switch resulting in the termination of the lift operation in said first actuation thereof or said lowering operation of said door in said succeeding actuation thereof.

3. In a garage door opener as defined in claim 2 the normally open contact switch thereof being a push button switch.

4. In a garage door opener as defined in claim 2 the normally open contact switch thereof being a radio controlled switch device.

5. In a garage door opener as defined in claim 2 the normally open contact switch thereof being a push-button and a radio-controlled switch connected in parallel so that the actuation and closure of either said push-button or said radio-controlled switch will initiate either said first or said succeeding switch closures as define-d.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,344,276 3/1944 Thompson 49199 X 2,499,889 3/ 1950 Teichmann 4925 X 2,534,525 12/ 1950 Molloy 49199 X DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner. J. K. BELL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A GARAGE DOOR AND COUPLED THERETO BY A CABLE, A SINGLE-ACTING FLUID CYLINDER HAVING A MOVABLE ROD EXTENDING THEREFROM CONNECTED WITH THE CABLE; A FIRST VALVE OPERATED BY A SOLENOID AND CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID CYLINDER AND A SOURCE OF TAP WATER; A SECOND VALVE OPERATED BY A SOLENOID AND CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID CYLINDER AND A DRAIN OUTLET; AND SWITCHING MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY ENERGIZING SAID VALVE SOLENOIDS IN ANY POSITION OF SAID GARAGE DOOR AND IN SUCH MANNER AS TO EFFECT OPENING OF EITHER VALVE AND CLOSING OF THE OTHER VALVE, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CLOSING OF BOTH VALVES; WHEREBY SAID GARAGE DOOR IS LIFTED WHEN SAID FIRST VALVE IS OPENED TO PERMIT WATER FROM SAID SOURCE TO ENTER SAID CYLINDER TO DRAW SAID ROD EXTENDING THEREFROM INTO SAID CYLINDER AND PULL UPON SAID CABLE, AND WHEREBY SAID GARAGE DOOR IS LOWERED WHEN SAID SECOND VALVE IS OPENED TO PERMIT SAID WATER FROM SAID CYLINDER TO DRAIN INTO SAID DRAIN OUTLET, EXTENDING SAID ROD TO RELEASE SAID CABLE, AND WHEREBY FURTHER SAID GARAGE DOOR MAY BE ARRESTED AND POSITIVELY RETAINED IN ANY POSITION. 